The Phoenix died, but what did his death give?

Today, NASA has finally lost touch with the Phoenix research vehicle, which landed on Mars this May. Consequently, his mission ended there.
NASA experts have not received signals from the Phoenix since November 2, when the latter contacted the Earth for a short time. Initially, it was assumed that the device will work on the "red planet" only three months, but it remained functional for more than five months. The short-term mission of the Phoenix is ​​due to the fact that he worked in the northern part of Mars, where the sun disappears with the onset of winter, which gives the apparatus energy.
As NASA suggests, the death of the Phoenix was brought closer by a dust storm that completely obscured its batteries from sunlight. Despite this, two NASA satellites, just in case, will pick up signals from the Phoenix for another three weeks - until the moment when the Sun obscures Mars from the Earth.
What helped scientists recognize Phoenix?

• The most important achievement of the Phoenix, launched from the Florida Cosmodrome in August 2007, was the study of ice, which was discovered only a few centimeters below the surface of the planet’s soil. With the help of cameras installed on the apparatus, scientists even saw how this ice evaporates.
• The mineral hitherto not seen on the red planet has been discovered: opal. Opal is a type of quartz and is formed in water. Until now, only two main groups of hydrates have been discovered by Martian orbital apparatuses: phyllosilicates and hydrogenated sulfates. The first clay silicates formed 3.5 billion years ago, when hot volcanic rocks came into contact with water, and the second formed in the next several hundred million years, as a result of the evaporation of salt and, often, acidic water.

As for further exploration of Mars, already in 2009, a new Mars rover, the Mars Science Laboratory, will land on the red planet, which will land in the clay-rich region of Mars.